[HANASHIR:4484] Orthopedic guitar strap

[Rebjoe <Rebjoe...>]

Chevre,
>From my experience, pain with guitar playing comes from several different 
sources:
1.  Playing a guitar that is too big for you....
2.  Improper guitar positioning  (you may be holding the guitar too low, too 
high, too close or far away from your body.0
3.  the position of your strap -- do you have it attached to the neck of the 
guitar which causes the guitar to move around, or do you have a button 
attached to the heel of the neck.
4.  Improper strumming technique - too much wrist or shoulder action.


There are "orthopedic" straps that crisscross on your back.  I have seen them 
adverstized in "Acoustic Guitar Magazine."  Any good guitar shop should have 
a copy or know where to find the strap.

My advice is to find a good guitar teacher and ask her/him to look at your 
positioning.  S/he will be able to tell you if your guitar is the right size 
and if you are holding it properly.

If you are really serious, there are several luthiers who build custom 
guitars that have differing body widths for differing styles.  Fender 
electrics pioneered a contoured body style on the Stratocaster.

good luck!

Joe Black

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